Feliz Navidad

Hello and Merry Christmas to all. Its our final month in Mexico and wow have we had a time of it. In case you are not up to speed with what has been happening with us, let me give you a timeline.
November a week before Thanksgiving while getting some dental work done Suzanne started feeling a little ill, as things got worse I took her to the local hospital and she quickly got violently ill. The medical staff in our little village took great around the clock care and after three days and two nights in the hospital with meds, we found out the diagnosis.  TYPHOID FEVER, the thing that we took great pride in getting vaccinated for before we left Oregon. It is something that can be contracted from a wide variety of places, your water, food, or just the right thing you touched and it makes its way to your stomach. Fever, headache, and violent stomach pains accompany this illness. The recovery took about THREE WEEKS and consisted of 14 days of CIPRO 1gr per day along with anti nausea medicine.  By the way the total hospital bill & Dr bill was $683.US. all inclusive.

Fast forward, it is mid Dec and Suzanne is finally healed up and we both have had our dental work finished to great satisfaction, our dentist Dr Cotty McDonald has spoiled us to any other provider, she gave me a deep cleaning, 2 root canals and 5 crowns, Suzanne got a cleaning and 1 crown and neither of us had ANY PAIN at all, this came at a total cost for both of us together of $2100.US.

The cost of my work alone in the states would have been over $8000. I can not tell you how much we both appreciate the time and care we have received in both the Ajijic Hospital and at Dr Cotty's office in Riberas De Pilar.

We are winding down our vacation while celebrating Christmas in this magical village full of wonderful and warm people. Thanks to all and Feliz Navidad.

After the zombies

This is being posted late as we have had some moving issues and I thought I already posted it, SORRY...

The end of October starts the time to celebrate the lives of family and friends who have past on, in Mexico the parties start, even now as we are in bed the mariachi bands are playing in the town and the fireworks are a constant reminder that it is party time, scaring the dog, and waking us up at unthinkable hours. But to the people of this small village it is an important and also reverent time. On Oct.31st. The Celebration of the Virgin of the Rosary ends with a parade carrying her statue from the main plaza church thru the streets of the town to a small chapel where she lives all the other months but October....there will be Indigenous dancers, an outdoor Mass, they parade thru Ajijic, past all the altars the local Mexicans have made with great care to celebrate The Day of the Dead, which will begin at dawn on Nov1 thru midnight Nov 2.

The cemeteries are a place to go and decorate and celebrate with food and music, they have an all around festival atmosphere which seems strange at first until some of the locals describe just what is really happening and how it relates to their past heritage and the traditions they are passing on to their own children. We are welcomed here by the local people as though we have been the best of friends, and have known one another forever. It really is a wonderful place to be!

1.5 miles up hill both ways

By our house here in Ajijic, is a path up the side of the mountain that goes to a small chapel (Mission) where folks hike to get a workout and possibly some spirituality, what ever you believe in.

We started walking the trail last week 1.5 miles to the chapel, and it is not for the faint of heart, in places the path is narrow, the rocks are loose, it gets steep, and I'm not getting any younger, at least thats my story. We met an elderly Mexican man who was coming down from the farthest point of the hike, which is WAY past the chapel, all the way to the top of the mountain, a 6 hr hike. He said he started before daylight with his flashlight, and it was about 11am and he was still going strong, he said he has been doing this same hike since he was a young boy with his father, something to be said about hiking or at least walking more than just to the car and back.

                                                                   
                                                                    The Mission

Mural inside the mission

We made it!

Our HERO on his way down, after 6hrs, 

just like it was nothing!

Ahhhh ... the Artists

Out the door in search of some art supplies so Suzanne can actually start drawing and enjoy not working.   We headed down into the village with a purpose, not just for supplies but also to explore. The first little spot was out of most supplies as the schools have started and this one is closest to one of them, but still we found some #2 pencils. Knowing this was not going to be as easy as first thought, we headed to a few galleries and then into a well known and respected artist's studio. The artist, Efren Gonzales, is one of the notable artists and muralists of Mexico, his work can be seen all around Ajijic, some of his murals grace the complete sides of buildings here. He and Suzanne struck up a conversation about a graphite drawing of a Shaman that was on his wall done by another notable Mexican artist, Javier Ramos, who just then stopped in to the studio and NOW Suzanne is going to be studying with him for some personal lessons, and maybe me too, he made us feel so welcome.

This is one of Efrens many murals in the village

My First Time...

I mean my first time to get a CLOSE shave with an old fashion straight razor, you know the kind in the GODFATHER movie. Suzanne and I were walking in town and she said "Oh, Look a Barber Shop, don't you need a haircut."  Well, DUH, of course, but the eye catcher was the straight razor on his counter and the price of 30 pesos $2.00 & change for a shave. I'M SOLD. The nicest young guy, maybe 30 at the most gave me a wonderful haircut, and to top it off, I got my first straight razor shave... Smooth as a baby's ..s  80 pesos all together shave and all, less than $7.00 US.

Then, off we went to Francisco's micro-taqueria and had a wonderful lunch, and great conversation with Francisco, who would like to learn more English, Suzanne did study English  Lit in college and we both have had some Spanish here and there, so he would like to give us Spanish lessons in trade for English lessons for him and his sisters. Maybe we will get this in the works, he is a very nice guy. What a great day in the village!





 

Life after work " WORKING" what's up!

As the title of our blog is "Life after Work",  I thought going on a 3 month Mexican vacation would be basking in the warmth of the beautiful climate we chose and going to the Tiengas (street markets) for fresh fruits and wonderful veggies, all the while enjoying the culture and hospitality of this wonderful country.  As some of you know me, If something is not right an urge in me takes over and some how, some way, I end up involved in getting the project off the ground, or in this case IN THE GROUND! When we arrived our pool was dry, do to it loosing almost 18" of water daily, so it was best to drain it and find the culprit, so guess who is now involved. After working on it for four days we will fill it back up on Saturday, and hope the vacation part resumes quickly.
                                                            MAN it's a BIG POOL!

Wake up!

It is now the time of celebration of many of the cherished spiritual figures, and one of them is La Virgin del Rosario or, Our Lady Of the Rosary, so at the crack of dawn the cohetes de trueno or sky rockets blast off to call the parishioners to the Mañanitas or Rosary procession to the church. From 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM we hear fireworks followed by church bells calling the faithful to early Mass.....better than an alarm clock beeping, although frightening to our dog, Lola, who leaped up into bed with us, trembling like a leaf.  This will last thru all of October until the statue of the Virgin del Rosario is paraded back to her home cathedral in an impressive procession/celebration followed by an evening fiesta in the plaza.

Worth it All

Since we started this blog we have had the ups and downs of trying to figure out the how, the where, and the, "Oh my,  I no longer have a job."  Well all of those thoughts and fears just melted away, as today we walked down to the town square, had coffee and did some relaxing in the sun of Mexico.

Finding that what we really have is each other and our good health in the these important years of life. No matter where you are or how your situation makes you feel, stop and look around.  I feel very fortunate to have the love of my life, our very valued friends and some time left on our clock.

Yes I think it's worth it all......

Mission accomplished

The day came to board the plane for Mexico, we have things for an arctic blizzard to a desert safari, 8 suitcases with ¥%£€ only knows what's in them, going thru security, all our stuff on the conveyer belt, a woman behind us said "I can't believe this!... AND TO MY SURPRISE, Suzanne turned and said "IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU SHOULD GET YOUR OWN AIRPLANE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE WAIT BEHIND "RIFFRAFF!,". - traveler called Suzanne a name, & my wife responded in kind , I just stood back and smiled :) I was very quiet & proud of her.

To LA, a 5hr layover and, we have Lola. If you go with an animal and have a layover of more than 4 hrs you have to get your animal from baggage claim go outside the security area, to the pet area for 4 hrs, to an area that's smaller than an astro-turfed  jail cell, go back thru security, TSA and hope things go well and Lola gets boarded for Mexico !  Suzanne sat upstairs in the secure area, across from or IN the sports bar, not sure which. Lola and I did our thing and all went well.  On to Guadalajara.

Guadalajara, customs, green light.....keep going, don't look back.  Looking for Luis,our driver, ...we kept waiting....a Mexican guy came up to us after awhile & said , "Are you Kelly & Suzanne"?.....we happily said "yes" & Luis said he was looking for a lesbian couple named Kelly & Suzanne :)!!!

Today's the DAY or "I can't take WHAT!"

Lying on a strange bed in a strange town and we have yet to leave the country. We have all of our stuff for a 3 month trip laid out on the floor (things that were once already packed), seems funny in a sick sense. We think about traveling to a third world country, and the "CUSTOMS" authorities going thru our things.... it is unnerving. No matter what you think, you could be wrong, there is no argument. THEY ARE RIGHT?!

So, to make the process more seamless, we go back to the store, buy more luggage to put the same amount of things in new carry-on specific bags that was in the first set, only now it is packed differently, make any sense to you...I didn't think so...

Slow Down

All the things we thought would take so little time to do are now monsters that come from every direction. I promised our guest internet access, only to find our network does not get to the guest house, so, call in the tech.... Network expander?  Go figure, why didn't I know about that thing. The wire is getting closer, we will be ready but REALLY why do I move so slow when I need to go so fast!   Mexico and the concept of "manana" sounds more than desirable to us ....in 10 DAYS slow will be the only way to go.......

Relativity

Our time is now compressed into an intensely short period, I wonder if we can get everything done in time...yes, time IS relative, Einstein, but I am running out of it...TIME!

I took a night to play pool with my friend, Layton, at our local (and very cool) tavern, 'cause fun is important.  Now it is September 13 and probably the next fun will be in Mexico, watching a donkey and a VW at a stop sign to see who goes first.  Trying not to forget anything - is it possible?!

Under the gun

We only have a few weeks left before our trip and I am still trying to get us moved back into our "real" house, as the guest house will be occupied in 2 weeks!  Since we are supposed to be in the stage of our lives that should be slower and easier to enjoy, I am working harder than I think I have in many years, and all at a pace that seems like I am going faster than the speed of sound. I SEE NO PROGRESS. At least I know I'm going so fast that maybe no one can hear me!... Who Knows!!!

I am going as fast as I can, so soon, I can go slower than I ever have.

So little time

The time to get all of our ducks in a row for our trip to Mexico is getting near and I am NOWHERE close to being ready with all of the moving from the guest house back into the main house. I have found that all form of paper sent to us from anyplace we do business with feels the need to put all of our personal info onto everything they send us by snail mail. I have made the shredder so sick that it keeps needing time to recover, so, we just sit together, me and the shredder, and cool down, both of us.  Paper, Paper, Paper I am literally going nuts...... Kel...

Why Leave

It seems strange to feel the need to go away from such a beautiful place and take a vacation from what is a vacation spot for everyone else.  Living in a very small town does have it's drawbacks, i.e. we go 28 miles to buy a new pair of boxers, 80 miles one way for a doctor visit and 130 miles for a major medical facility. As our local friends know, living here we all just take these things in stride.

It's what we do to live where it is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous.

Melting Down

Our trip of a life time is to start in less than 3 weeks and I am no where near ready.  I have to move us from our guest house back into our remodeled home.  Plus get the guest house ready for a friend to stay in while we are gone, get the dog her check-up and shots so she is ready to fly along with us. Oh and then there is trying to pack for three months in a different country.

  I am so glad that my wife has finally decided to stop working and is ready to enjoy life after helping others for so long as a registered nurse.  It is time for her to just be herself and relax, after being on call 7 days a week 24 hours a day for what seems like a lifetime.  I can't wait to just have her to myself.

Who's stuff is this?

We moved into our guest house about a year ago so that I could remodel our "real" house. Now the time is here to move back in. I cannot imagine just where all the stuff I have put into the house to remodel was stored. I might be a tool hoarder!  I believe I have a tool for anything and everything that you can imagine.  Some I don't even remember what was their purpose.  So, actually, I have turned our "Remodeled" home into my tool storage haven.

I'm not sure just how my wife will react to a set of saw horses, with an old door for a dinning room table, a drill press for a blender and a chop saw for a food processor....  JUST KIDDING SWEETHEART..... It will all work out in the end. Really

Try to remember

As we get closer to leaving the country, something came up that had not occurred to me.  One of the forgotten matters to deal with is just what to do if we are hospitalized in a foreign land and want to get back to a hospital in the states?  I found that shopping for a plan to fly back to the US with a medical evacuation team is a big deal and you really have to ask questions about the "SMALL PRINT."  Some will fly you to the closest hospital stateside, while others will fly you to the hospital of your choice.  That to me, being married to a operating room nurse, made my choice of policies easy... get the one that takes you to the best hospital of your choice for your particular issue.  As my wife has worked in the operating rooms of some of the best hospitals in the country, I want to go wherever the injury or ailment will be treated the best.  The closest hospital is not always the best choice....... so, stay tuned as we get closer to leaving the country I'm sure more things will come up!

Too much to do

Well, we are another day closer to leaving.  Now, we plan for immunizations for our out of the country travel, and leave the comfort of our regular MD's that know us by name, for potential unknown third world foreign medical "professionals?"

We have done this before, in all the Travel Nursing jobs we've been on from coast to coast, but this time it is different.  I don't know why, but, maybe, because this adventure is one that we are not going to get paid for not in money, but in memories and vast new experiences, we are elated, frightened of the unknown, anxious to get going, know we have basically no control over our future days abroad, but hope to regain that sense of wonder and the moment to moment feeling of being there in each nanosecond with no thought of what can happen, what has happened, just what is.  Life is now.

The date has finally arrived 9/6/2013

Finally, the actual date to start to Live Life after Work has been set. We are full of emotions from fear to elation, not knowing just how to begin to live off schedule is an odd feeling. All of our adult lives we have been doing some sort of work that required a time frame to either start, finish, arrive, leave, oh you all know what I'm trying to say. There has always been something that had to be done by the hands of a clock.

Well, now we have to figure out just what Life After Work really means...... do we sleep in or get up early? Do we go visit our friends who for so long have said "come on down" or thrash around the house or yard for a couple of months just looking at each other. This really will take some time to get used to. We have no place that we have to be! Do we eat at the "regular" time or do each of us just pick at food whenever we have the urge? 

I know that we have always said "when we have the time we will______"[fill in the blank].  I guess, we will have to learn as we go what the blanks will be. I do know we are filled with more joy and wonder than we can express.

So close to the finish line

We are thinking that a blog would be a great idea to keep our friends up to date on our adventures into Life after Work. We all have our own ideas of just what our futures hold, but when the time comes to really get out of the workforce and set out on the rest of your life, it can become a scary and frightening time. So, as we get our thoughts together we will put them down as though you are on our adventure with us.   Welcome to the TIME WE ALL WORK FOR,  THE TIME TO STOP!